TASER Shockwave - electro-shock 'canon' developed for riot control

The launch of the handheld TASER X3 has been grabbing headlines lately, but the company has also been developing large-scale versions of its stun-gun technology for 'area denial' (read 'riot control'). The TASER Shockwave is a fully modular system that effectively bunches six TASER X26 stun guns together to cover a 20-degree arc with 25-foot cartridges.

All six charges can be fired simultaneously via the Control Box to deliver a five-second TASER Neuro Muscular Incapacitation (NMI) effect – that’s the thing that temporarily overrides the command and control systems of the body to send targets shuddering to the ground.

Designed to instantly incapacitate multiple personnel in violent crowd and riot situations the modularity of the system allows multiple Shockwave units to be stacked together vertically to allow for multiple salvos over a reduced area, or horizontally to cover a larger area. Area coverage can also be increased by daisy chaining the units together. When multiple units are deployed together an intelligent networking system gives each Shockwave unit the ability to know where its position lies within an array of multiple systems.

To minimize the risk to the user the TASER Shockwave system can be activated with a push of the button on the Control Box, which can be located at a safe stand-off distance of up to 100 meters. One Control Box can control up to 12 Shockwave units and is also responsible for the keeping the lithium battery packs contained in each Shockwave unit charged in a constant state of readiness.

The Shockwave can deliver an additional five-second shock to ensure those targets that are already down, stay down. The unit can also be mounted to a vehicle.

Darren's love of technology started in primary school with a Nintendo Game & Watch Donkey Kong (still functioning) and a Commodore VIC 20 computer (not still functioning). In high school he upgraded to a 286 PC, and he's been following Moore's law ever since. This love of technology continued through a number of university courses and crappy jobs until 2008, when his interests found a home at Gizmag. All articles by Darren Quick